The Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in reference to a shooting at 2508 Shady Oak Court at about 11:00 p.m. last evening, June 11, 2013.
Deputies arrived to find Phillip Stephens dead at the scene by a gunshot and his 10 year old son Joshua Stephens also shot, but still alive. EMS also responded and Joshua Stephens was taken to a local hospital where he later passed.
BCSO Criminal Investigations and Crime Scene Unit responded to the home and began an investigation into the incident and a forensic examination of the scene.
Investigators now believe Phillip Stephens shot his son and then turned the gun on himself. A teenage family member was also in the home at the time of the shooting but did not witness the incident. However, a statement taken by investigators from this family member is consistent with evidence recovered at the scene. Statements from other family members reveal Phillip Stephens had a history of threatening suicide.